Australia Takes Telegram to Court over Pro-Terror Content

Australia’s internet regulator has launched legal action against Telegram over alleged failures to remove pro-terror content.

The eSafety Commissioner said videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings linked to attacks including those in Christchurch and Buffalo remained accessible long after the platform had been notified.

According to a court filing, Australian users reported 12 posts containing extremist material between July and October 2025, including three with known terrorist content. Telegram allegedly failed to remove 10 of the posts or suspend or block the accounts responsible.

If found to have breached Australia’s online safety standards, the platform could face civil penalties of up to A$54.6m ($38m).

Telegram rejected the allegations and said it would contest them in court. A spokesperson added that its anti-terrorism efforts were well documented and that thousands of extremist communities had been blocked in 2026 alone.

With more than one billion monthly active users, Telegram is one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms and has become an important source of information on the war in Ukraine.

Russia also charged founder Pavel Durov on Wednesday with facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that Ukrainian operatives had used the app to organize attacks inside the country.

(Reuters, est)